Scimitar2
09-01-11, 02:19
It has been almost a week since LAV made his open enrollment premier in Washington State and I am just getting caught up on things.
On the 26th and 27th of August, the Okanogan County Sheriff's Office hosted Vickers Tactical for the 1911 Operator course.
There were 13 students actually shooting the course. Additionally, I was out there most of the time as the course host / coordinator (with the exception of the afternoon of day 1 when I had to go to work). Unfortunately, one of the students (a local Deputy Sheriff) had to leave halfway through the morning of day two to go to work and was not able to return in time for anymore of the instruction.
The students were a mix of LE, former military, civilian firearms instructors, the Hill brothers of Hill People Gear and an average joe or two.
I would say the overall weapon handling skills demonstrated in this class was above average (I never saw anything that even approached an unsafe situation) and the camaraderie was the best I have ever seen in a class.
Day 1 started out at about 0830 with a quick welcome and orientation to the course expectations from Larry and an administrative safety brief from me.
After a few minutes in the classroom, we broke out and went to the range.
The morning of day 1 was spent on the range going over a variety of drills and specifically how to efficiently perform them with a 1911 handgun.
From the first round down range to the last, Larry's focus on accuracy never wavered. Nobody was ever rewarded for trying to get off a quick round that missed rather then taking the additional time to make sure you are getting the hits.
Larry ran the students through drills that can be performed when the class is over and we are back on our home range to improve accuracy.
I am being intentionally vague about the drills because they are Larry's drills and quite frankly, learning them alone is worth the cost of admission to the class.
As the morning continued on, the temperature heated up. All weekend it was hot on the range and making sure the coolers were stocked with ice, water and Gatorade soon became a priority.
At about noon, we broke for a lunch catered by a local bakery.
We arrived in the classroom only to find that there was no water pressure. This would eventually fixed in the afternoon, but it was a bit of a scramble to get some porta-potties brought out to use until the water was restored.
That afternoon I had to work, so you will have to hear about it from someone else.
Day 2 was mostly spent in the (thankfully air conditioned) classroom. The day was spent with detail stripping the handgun, explanations on how the different parts work together, what common issues are present in 1911's and how to fix them. Larry took at least SOME part of almost everyone's pistol to the grinder in order to fix the deficiencies in the pistols as they came from the factory.
The course ended back on the range with a practical exercise going over Larry's test fire procedures.
In addition to the drills and exercises presented in the class, there was a wealth of information from Larry on what does and does not work in a variety of firearms, historical firearms trivia and generally being a walking and talking encyclopedia of firearms information. He answered questions in a direct manner and is a HILARIOUS man to be around. Thick skin is required to be in his classes.
This was a great class to be a part of (although I did not get to shoot it and missed some of it while at work) and I feel confident in saying that Larry's reputation as one of the great trainers of our time is well earned.
I am still sorting through the pics I took, I will try to get some posted shortly.
On the 26th and 27th of August, the Okanogan County Sheriff's Office hosted Vickers Tactical for the 1911 Operator course.
There were 13 students actually shooting the course. Additionally, I was out there most of the time as the course host / coordinator (with the exception of the afternoon of day 1 when I had to go to work). Unfortunately, one of the students (a local Deputy Sheriff) had to leave halfway through the morning of day two to go to work and was not able to return in time for anymore of the instruction.
The students were a mix of LE, former military, civilian firearms instructors, the Hill brothers of Hill People Gear and an average joe or two.
I would say the overall weapon handling skills demonstrated in this class was above average (I never saw anything that even approached an unsafe situation) and the camaraderie was the best I have ever seen in a class.
Day 1 started out at about 0830 with a quick welcome and orientation to the course expectations from Larry and an administrative safety brief from me.
After a few minutes in the classroom, we broke out and went to the range.
The morning of day 1 was spent on the range going over a variety of drills and specifically how to efficiently perform them with a 1911 handgun.
From the first round down range to the last, Larry's focus on accuracy never wavered. Nobody was ever rewarded for trying to get off a quick round that missed rather then taking the additional time to make sure you are getting the hits.
Larry ran the students through drills that can be performed when the class is over and we are back on our home range to improve accuracy.
I am being intentionally vague about the drills because they are Larry's drills and quite frankly, learning them alone is worth the cost of admission to the class.
As the morning continued on, the temperature heated up. All weekend it was hot on the range and making sure the coolers were stocked with ice, water and Gatorade soon became a priority.
At about noon, we broke for a lunch catered by a local bakery.
We arrived in the classroom only to find that there was no water pressure. This would eventually fixed in the afternoon, but it was a bit of a scramble to get some porta-potties brought out to use until the water was restored.
That afternoon I had to work, so you will have to hear about it from someone else.
Day 2 was mostly spent in the (thankfully air conditioned) classroom. The day was spent with detail stripping the handgun, explanations on how the different parts work together, what common issues are present in 1911's and how to fix them. Larry took at least SOME part of almost everyone's pistol to the grinder in order to fix the deficiencies in the pistols as they came from the factory.
The course ended back on the range with a practical exercise going over Larry's test fire procedures.
In addition to the drills and exercises presented in the class, there was a wealth of information from Larry on what does and does not work in a variety of firearms, historical firearms trivia and generally being a walking and talking encyclopedia of firearms information. He answered questions in a direct manner and is a HILARIOUS man to be around. Thick skin is required to be in his classes.
This was a great class to be a part of (although I did not get to shoot it and missed some of it while at work) and I feel confident in saying that Larry's reputation as one of the great trainers of our time is well earned.
I am still sorting through the pics I took, I will try to get some posted shortly.